1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that performs a predetermined operation on an electronic document received from an external apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, some image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals are provided with a mass-storage hard disk, and have a function of storing an electronic document or a job setting of a print job or a transmission job performed once to facilitate retransmission or reprint thereof.
According to this function, not only can a user easily retransmit an electronic document transmitted once, but also, if the electronic document transmitted once does not meet a desired image quality or file format, the user can retransmit it just by changing the setting without scanning the document again. Further, according to this function, not only can the user easily reprint an electronic document printed once, but also, if the electronic document printed once does not meet a desired output result, the user can reprint the document with a part of the job setting (for example, the number of print or a print layout) changed.
On the other hand, conventionally, the multifunction peripherals have a function of receiving an electronic document from an external apparatus by a reception method such as facsimile or electronic mail via a network or a public line. An electronic document received by facsimile may contain confidential information from a client or a business partner, whereby allowing the multifunction peripherals to limitlessly retransmit or reprint the electronic document is undesirable in terms of security.
For solving this problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-108883 discusses a method of preparing a policy server for managing access to an electronic document, embedding this policy into the electronic document, and setting a limitation according to the policy.
According to the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-108883, although it is possible to permit or prohibit access to the received electronic document, it is impossible to prevent the received document from being transmitted. Further, it is impossible to switch a permission or a prohibition for a reprint with use of a job setting of a job performed once.